The Dark Prince (Kylo Ren X Reader)

The Resistance Is Dead

The first word of the attack came at 7 AM. 

A break in the front lines, at the very edge of the city. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountaintops, warmth spreading through the valley in a way that almost made it seem like today wouldn't be catastrophic. But you knew better. 

Your mother was pacing, her hands in her hair as she stared up at the ceiling, muttering inaudible words to herself as if she was having a full blown conversation with the voices in her head. You could make out a few things, but it was all you really needed to hear. 

"Horrible--I don't deserve this--why are you doing this to me--please let me live--"

You just rolled your eyes. It was just like her to only think about herself in a situation like this. You hadn't expected anything else from her. 

Your father stood at the door, speaking in a low tone to a tall, armored guard, his brows furrowed and his eyes thinned. You could tell he was worried. And of course he would be. You didn't blame him. So were you. 

The First Order had a better army. Better weapons. Better generals. There was no debating that, and your father knew it just as well as you did. You were actually kind of impressed with how calm he seemed--even though that might not have been the truth on the inside. But to anyone watching, he seemed confident--unphased. You could only tell by the way he was fiddling with the hem of his jacket that he was nervous. He'd always done that when he was worried about something. 

"Send in reinforcements," You heard him mumble, shaking his head, "We need to keep them out of the city for as long as possible." The guard nodded, turning back to the hallway and disappearing from sight. Your father sighed, closing the door slowly and walking to the couch, collapsing down on it defeatedly. "I'd say we only have about two hours." He said solemnly, rubbing at his eyes. "Maybe less."

"Until what?" Your mother whispered in a shrill, unbearable tone. 

"Until they storm the palace." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Until the Resistance is no longer." Your mother let out a dramatic wail, leaning against the wall as if she couldn't stand on her own and fake-crying into her sleeve. You just glared at her, taking in a deep breath. 

"You really think that our army will fall that quickly?" You asked. He nodded slowly.

"Our men are talented. But we do not have the technology that they have. We are no match for their power. At least not for long." You sighed, standing and walking to the large window in the wall, staring out across the valley. You looked sadly over the city far in the distance, the tops of the buildings poking out from under the canopy of trees. 

It was strange to think that in just a few hours, those buildings might be no more. The people that once lived in them might be killed, or captured. Your stomach churned painfully at the thought. You wished that there was something more that you could have done to stop it. 

You hadn't heard from Kylo again since he'd sent you the letter, and you still didn't know if you could trust what he told you or not. He'd been right about when the attack would happen, but whether he was really sorry for what he'd done to you, you weren't sure yet. But if there was ever going to be a day when he could fulfill his promise--that he'd keep you safe from danger--today was certainly that day. 

~an hour later~

The city was taken. The First Order had broken through the front lines and wiped out the reinforcements in less than an hour, setting fire to the buildings and taking the survivors prisoner. You could hear their screams even from inside, echoing through the valley in a way that made you feel physically sick, your face going pale as you stared blankly out the window. You could see the smoke rising from the flames, a dark fog settling over the treetops and seeping up into the atmosphere.